Heads-up on lead poisoning from old homes in children - With so many moving in with family..

[1776Forever]

Just had a talk with my niece and we were talking about how she had moved into her father's old home that is full of lead based paint in the door and window frames. She has a child going into kindergarten this year and the Dr. told her that she should have her little child tested for lead after she told him about the old home she lives in. He told her that the reason they hadn't tested for lead poisoning before is because most younger people don't live in older home now and she said "I think you need to realize how many young families are having to move back in with the older parents to survive."

Just thought I would put this on so if you know someone that may be in danger of this they know how important it is to test for this problem. I also learned that not only paint on walls etc. and toys but the dust in the house can endanger children and adults.

From Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_poisoning

Classically, "lead poisoning" or "lead intoxication" has been defined as exposure to high levels of lead typically associated with severe health effects.<1> Poisoning is a pattern of symptoms that occur with toxic effects from mid to high levels of exposure; toxicity is a wider spectrum of effects, including subclinical ones (those that do not cause symptoms).<2> However, professionals often use "lead poisoning" and "lead toxicity" interchangeably, and official sources do not always restrict the use of "lead poisoning" to refer only to symptomatic effects of lead.<2>

The amount of lead in the blood and tissues, as well as the time course of exposure, determine toxicity.<3> Lead poisoning may be acute (from intense exposure of short duration) or chronic (from repeat low-level exposure over a prolonged period), but the latter is much more common.<4> Diagnosis and treatment of lead exposure are based on blood lead level (the amount of lead in the blood), measured in micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood (μg/dL). The US Centers for Disease

Signs and symptoms

Lead poisoning can cause a variety of symptoms and signs which vary depending on the individual and the duration of lead exposure.<10><11> Symptoms are nonspecific and may be subtle, and someone with elevated lead levels may have no symptoms.<12> Symptoms usually develop over weeks to months as lead builds up in the body during a chronic exposure, but acute symptoms from brief, intense exposures also occur.<13> Symptoms begin to appear in children generally at around 60 μg/dL.<19> However, the lead levels at which symptoms appear vary widely depending on unknown characteristics of each individual.<20> At blood lead levels between 25 and 60 μg/dL, neuropsychiatric effects such as delayed reaction times, irritability, and difficulty concentrating, as well as slowed motor nerve conduction and headache can occur.<21> Anemia may appear at blood lead levels higher than 50 μg/dL.<17> In adults, Abdominal colic, involving paroxysms of pain, may appear at blood lead levels greater than 80 μg/dL.<11> Signs that occur in adults at blood lead levels exceeding 100 μg/dL include wrist drop and foot drop, and signs of encephalopathy (a condition characterized by brain swelling), such as those that accompany increased pressure within the skull, delirium, coma, seizures, and headache.<22> In children, signs of encephalopathy such as bizarre behavior, discoordination, and apathy occur at lead levels exceeding 70 μg/dL.<22> For both adults and children, it is rare to be asymptomatic if blood lead levels exceed 100 μg/dL.<11>

[virgogal]

1. The key words are "exposure to high levels of lead". My

generation (in our 70's) grew up surrounded by led and no one was poisoned.

[SharonAnn]

3. Perhaps some were and it wasn't known. "Slow learning" can be a symptom.

[1776Forever]

4. That is so true - I never knew the dust is a problem. There are many more older home where I live

then newer ones. I asked my son about his place and he said the people had stripped it cleaned (supposedly) and repainted everything. Still told him to keep an eye on the kids who are 2 and 3 years-old.

[hedgehog]

2. My daughter tested the dirt in her back yard in her c.1910 inner city house

and found high lead levels.